Pressure fluid operable blow-out preventer



April 6, 1937.

4April 6, 1937. A. J. PENICK ET AL 2,076,042

PRESSURE FLUID OPERABLE BLOW-OUT FREVENTER Filed Feb. 25, 1955 3 Sheets-*Sheet 2 3 Sheets-Shane?l 3 Aprll 6, 1937. A. J. PENICK ET AL PRESSURE FLUID OPERABLE BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed Feb. 25, 1955- :Patented Apr. 6, 1937 VPA'IENT OFFICE PRESSURE FLUm orEnABLE :mow-ctrl' PREvEN'rEa Arthur J. renier and kirby T. Peniok.

l Houston,

&1935. sensi No. 8,039

Application-1 February 2 Tex.

s claims. (criss-) This invention relates to a pressure fluid operable blowout preventer.

An object of the invention is to provide. appa'- ratus of the character described especially adapt- 5 ed for use in well drilling for closing the'space between a drillstem, or other inner pipe, andthe casing head on the outer casing.

Another object of the invention is to vprovide in combination with a casing head having an 10 internal seat of a pressure'head normally maintained in inactive position soas not to interfere with well drilling operations or other operations being carried on in the well, with means for positively moving the` pressure h ead into posil5 tion upon said seat around the inner pipe to close the space between the casing head 4and inner pipe in case internal pressure is encountered in the well, and a blowout is threatened.

A further feature of the invention resides-in '20 the provision of means adapted to be actuated by uid under pressure for moving 4the pressure head into either active or inactive position.

A still further object resides in the provisionl of apparatus of the character described having mechanical means for maintaining the pressure head in said inactive position.

With the above and other 'objects in view, the invention has particular relation to `certain novel features of construction, operation, and arrangement of parts, examples of which aregiven in this specication and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure V1 shows a vertical sectional view of the apparatus. Y

Figure 2 shows a plan view. Figure 3 shows a side view, partly in section, of

a slightly modified form of the apparatus.

Figure 4 shows a plan view, partlyin section,

of said modied form, and j 40 Figure 5 shows a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

i Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates a casing head adapted to be connected to the .upper `end of the casing 2. The casing head is of a general tubular form to permit the passage of a drill stem or other pipe 3 o vertically therethrough, and has the inside seat I preferably converging, or tapering downwardly. The seat 4 at the upper end thereof has the oppositely arranged dove-tailed grooves 5, 5, and these grooves diverge upwardly and continue up 55 in :ne inside mee or the guides t. s, which may be formed integrally with the casing head, and extend upwardly therefrom.

There is apressure head composedof sections In the present instance, the pressure head is shown composed `of two of said sections which 5 are arcuatev in cross-sectional contour to t 'around the drill stemv 3, and tapered downwardly to fit in the seat 4 when the pressure head is inactive position closed about said drill stem.

The sections of the pressure head have the 10 sponding grooves 5. v

. Upstanding from opposite sides of the casingr head are thespaced tracks l, 8, whose facing sides have the vertical mortises I8, Il. Between the l5 respective tracks 9 on each side are the plungers II whose sides have the vertical tenons I2, I2, which move in said mortises. 'Ihese plungers have the transverse, lor radialbearings I8, therethrough, and pivoted to the respective sections 1, 20 at their inner ends, arethe lift rods Il, II,-which are extended outwardly and which are slidably tted through the bearings of said plungers. In the .form shown in Figure 1, there are the vertical cylinders I 5, I5, on opposite sides of the -casing 25 head I, and inthese cylinders are the respective pistons IB, IB.- p

Piston rods I'I are connected, at their lower ends, to the respective pistons, and their upper ends work through the stuffing boxes I8, I8,at 30 the upper ends of the cylinders, and are attached lto the corresponding plungers II above.

,signed for the purpose.

When itis desired to' elevate the pressure head 40 out of active position, pressure fluid may be admitted through the lines 20 to elevate the pistons I6, and the respective sections 1 will correspondingly elevate, vmoving upwardly and outwardly along the guides 8 into position indicated by 45 dottedlines in Figure 1, andas the pressure head sections move upwardly, the lift-rods I 4 will move outwardly through the bearings I3, as also indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. While the pistons I6 are moved upwardly, the lines I9 may 5o be opened to permit the exhaust of the pressure fluid above the pistons.

When the pressure head is in its upper position, frangible pins, as 2|, may be inserted through suitable holes in the tracks 9 beneath 55 the corresponding plimgers I I so as to hold the sections of the pressure head elevated while ordinary drilling operations are being carried on so that it will not be necessary to maintain pres- 5 sure in the cylinders beneath the pistons to hold the pressure head sections elevated In case a blowout is threatened. iluid pressure suchas steam may be introduced into the cylinders Il above the pistons, and the valves controlling the lines 2l opened and said pistons will be forced downwardly causing the pins 2| t0 shear and causing the pressure head sections to be moved downwardly and inwardly on to the seat! about the inner pipe 3. l l5 The pressure head will be locked or latched in said lower or active position by suitable meansA provided for that purpose and such as are now in common use. Latch-means such as disclosed in our co-pending application, Serial No. 4,258, 20 tiled January 31, 1935, may be used for that PUrP0B- The pressure head may be formed with suitable packing such as rubber, as illustrated in the drawings, for forming :duid-tight joints between 25 the pressure head and inner pipe as'wellas between the pressure head and the seat 4. When the'pressure head is in active position, the pressure iiuid in the well may be drawn of! through suitable outlet lines 22 leading from the casing beneath the seat l. "In the form shown Vin Figures 3 and 4, the casing head I is formed with an annular cylinder 23 in which there is located an annular piston 24, and the piston rods I1, I1, are attached 35 at their lower ends to the pistons 24 and extend up through the'studing boxes Il and are connected to the plungers II above. In other respects, the forms shown in Figures 3 and 4 are similar in construction and operation to Athe 40 forms shown in Figures i and 2.-

The drawings anddescriptiondisclose what are now considered forms of the invention by way of illustration only, while thebroad principle of the inventionvv willV bedeiined by the appended 45 claims.

What we claim is:- 1. The combination with a casing head having a seat, of a pressure head shaped to iit the seat and to surround an inner pipe in the casing head, 50 said pressure head being formed of sections, up-

wardly diverging guides .upstanding above the casing head on which said -sections are siidably mounted. l

2.u The combination with a casing head having 55 a seat, o! a pressure head formed of sections and shaped to tit the seat andv to surround an inner pipe through the casing' head, upwardly diverging guides above the head along which the sections may move -into active position onto, and 60 into inactive position, away from, the seat.

3. The combination with a casing head having a seat, of a pressure head formed of sections and shaped to fit the seat and to surround an inner pipe through the casing head, guides along which the sections may move into active position onto, and into inactive position, away from, the seat, said guides diverging upwardly to space the sections away from the inner pipe when in said inactive position, duid pressure operable K means for actuating the pressure head.

- 4. The combination with a casing head having a seat, oi.' a pressure head formed of sections and shaped to nt the seat and to surround an inner pipe through the casing head, upwardlyv diverging guides along which the sections may move into active position onto, and into inactive position, away from, the seat, a means connected to the sections and operable by uid, under pressure, to so move the sections.

sections and operable by iluid, under pressure, tov

so move the sections.

6. In a blowout preventer, a casing -head having a seat. a pressure head formed of sections and shaped to ilt the seat and to surround an inner pipe through the casing head, iiuid pressure operable means for moving the sections upwardly from the seat and outwardly from the inner pipe into inactive position,and downwardly and inwardly onto the seat and around the inner pipe. into active position. Y

7. In a blowout preventer, a casing head having a seat, a pressure head formed oi sections and shaped to t said seat and to surround an inner pipe through the casing head, and means adapted to be operated by fluid, under pressure, for moving the sections into inactive position, upwardly and outwardly from the seat, or into activeposition downwardly and inwardlybntothe seat about the inner pipe.

8. 'Ihe combination with a casing head yhaving a seat, of a pressure head formed of sections and shaped to iit the seat andto surround an inner pipe through the casing head, upwardly diverging guides along which the sections may move into active position onto, and into inactive position away from, the seat, tracks upstanding from the casing head, plungers movable along the tracks, lift-rods connected to the sections -and having. slidable connections with the plungers and means operable by uid under pressure for actuating the plungers vto effect the movements of the pressure-head sections. 9. 'I'he combination with a casing head 'hav- .ing an inside seat, of a pressure head formed of `sections and shaped to fit the seat and to surround an inner pipe through the casing head, up-

wardly diverging guides along which the sections may move into active position onto,l andinto, inactive position away from the seat, tracks upstanding from the casing head plungers movable along said tracks and provided with radial bearings, lift rods pivotally connected. to the sections and slidable through said bearings and means operable by iluid under pressure for actuating the plungers to eiect the movements of the pressure head sections. v Q l ARTHUR J. PENICK. KIRBY 'LPENICK 

